Latest News - Chicago Appleseed Center for Fair Courts

Tomorrow is Giving Tuesday

Tomorrow, Tuesday, December 2nd, is Giving Tuesday. The #GivingTuesday movement, which started in 2012, follows Thanksgiving annually as a day focused on radical generosity—small acts of “care, love, and understanding extended outward” in support of one’s community. This year, w...

Cook County State’s Attorney Expands Felony Review Bypass Program Citywide

Since January, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO) has been piloting a policy that limits due process rights for people accused of unlicensed gun possession. On Friday, they announced that they will be expanding this policy from two police districts to the entire city, handing off...

NEW: Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago Students’ Reports on the Criminal System, Immigration, and Healthcare in Jails & Prisons — Available Now!

Chicago Appleseed is thrilled to announce that the Future Justice Lawyers of Chicago (FJLOC) students' reports on the criminal system, immigration, and healthcare in prisons are available now! Focus on Parole Focus on Reentry and Rehabilitation The Role of the Prosecutor in Bringing About...

Understanding Barriers to Representation for Civil Contempt in Child Support Cases & Examining Rule 13.8(b)

Parents who fail to pay court-ordered child support can face a range of penalties, including civil contempt of court and misdemeanor or felony charges, which could result in fines or even incarceration. The data is incomplete, but it's estimated that at an average of 50,000 parents (mainly fathers)...

Common Law Privilege Barring Civil Arrests at Courthouses Reaffirmed by General Order in Cook County & Steps for Statewide Expansion

Chief Judge Evans has issued a General Administrative Order (GAO), effective today, asserting the common law privilege against civil arrests of people attending court in the Circuit Court of Cook County. The order states that no one attending court, as a witness or otherwise, "will be subjected...